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Long Island Catholic diocese finalizes $323 million settlement for child sex abuse victims
NEW YORK — A years-long legal battle between Long Island’s Catholic diocese and hundreds of alleged sex abuse victims came to an end Wednesday, with a bankruptcy judge in Manhattan approving a plan that finalizes a $323 million settlement.
As part of the settlement, the Diocese of Rockville Centre will begin making payments next year to ...Read more
Ex priest, 93, pleads guilty to raping, kidnapping young boy
A retired Roman Catholic priest accused of raping and kidnapping a young boy nearly 50 years ago entered a guilty plea on Tuesday, just before jury selection for his criminal trial was set to get underway.
Lawrence Hecker, 93, pleaded guilty to first-degree rape, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated crime against nature and theft. He’s scheduled...Read more
You don't have to celebrate Christmas to experience the spiritual benefits of Advent
Ellen O'Brian hadn't bought a candy-filled advent calendar in years, but when she saw the festive cardboard box with little numbered panels in her local natural foods store, she couldn't resist.
"It's put out by a chocolate maker called Divine, and it's dark chocolate for the dark time of the year," said O'Brian, founder of the Center for ...Read more
Is there hope of changing darkness to light?
From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham
Q: My kids say I get grumpy as Christmas approaches. I deny it, but they speak the truth. I feel dread in my spirit. When I examine my thoughts, it becomes clear. My grumpiness is because of my “to-do list”: shopping, cooking, decorating, and entertaining while pretending I’m filled with ...Read more
Does Jesus save nations or people?
From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham
Q: Does Jesus save nations or people? I hear a lot from preachers and politicians that God cares more for particular political parties and denominations but I can’t find anything in the Bible about this. – G.S.
A: When we come to Christ we come as individuals. We alone repent of our sins; we alone...Read more
Is this Bible class legit?
From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham
Q: I am attending a Bible class and am learning so much, but the longer I’m in it the more I question whether it is really a Bible class. The leader is teaching not from the Bible but from a Christian book that is on the bestseller list! The author is clearly accepted by his peers – and is often on...Read more
What does it mean when the Bible talks about a time when there will be a famine of the Word of God?
From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham
Q: Our culture has become indifferent to famines that take place around the world. We’re barraged with advertisements and fund-raising appeals to help feed the world. While many give to this great need, most are complacent. Is this what it means when the Bible talks about a time when there will be a ...Read more
Isn’t the church supposed to be made up of God’s special people, and unified not with the world, but with Christ?
From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham
Q: It’s becoming difficult to communicate with younger generations – even some my own age (I’m a baby boomer). Words that have had a particular meaning have been changed and an online dictionary has to be consulted. I’m having to learn English all over again. The word bad now means ...Read more
The God Squad: More thanks for Thanksgiving little things
Thanks dear readers for your suggestions for little things we overlook on Thanksgiving. If this column arrives after Thanksgiving it is no problem. Thanksgiving is more than a holiday. Thanksgiving is a state of the soul. Here is my favorite this year from M…
My husband of 26 ...Read more
What would God want to hear us say on Thanksgiving?
From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham
Q: Our family was reminiscing last Thanksgiving about how this day of blessing has changed through the generations. When I was a child back in the 1950s, we assembled around a bountiful table at my grandparents, and my uncle would lead us in the hymn “We Gather Together to Ask the Lord...Read more
Have we become too oversensitive to speaking out on what the Bible condemns?
From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham
Q: Should churches get involved in political issues? That seems to be all preachers talk about these days. On the other hand, in reading the history of our nation, I’ve been shocked to learn how pastors of the day were involved in community affairs pertaining to various issues of education and social...Read more
Should my faith be placed in mankind because of the incredible success in education, medicine, science, and technology?
From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham
Q: My college professor claims that science has disproved much of the Bible – and the Gospel – and if I expect to have any faith at all, my faith should be placed in mankind because of the incredible success in education, medicine, science, and technology. My faith in God is certain, but how does ...Read more
What is wrong with wanting to do well in life and accumulate things that you’ve worked for and earned?
From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham
Q: I like nice things and some say I’m greedy, but what is wrong with wanting to do well in life and accumulate things that you’ve worked for and earned? – G.A.
A: Greed is an unreasonable or all-absorbing desire to acquire things or wealth. It can take all kinds of forms (including a grasping ...Read more
Are there particular places in the Bible that give clarity to what deeds should be done to settle the fact that I’m not ready to die?
From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham
Q: I have a recurring dream about dying, and I’ve come to grips with the fact that I’m not ready to die. I want to settle once and for all. Are there particular places in the Bible that give clarity to what deeds should be done to settle this urgency? – R.D.
A: The most important thing anyone ...Read more
If the devil believes in the true God, what makes him go on in his evil ways?
From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham
Q: If the devil believes in the true God, what makes him go on in his evil ways? If he really believes that God is all-powerful, surely he must know that he is going to lose in the end. What motivates him? – D.E.
A: The devil and his demons know God exists. The demon world also believes in the facts...Read more
The God Squad: Weird Thanksgiving thank-yous
I am still flooded and inspired by the God winks you are sending to me, and I thank you from the bottom of my winking heart. Even so, I am happy to take a break from God winks to send along my annual Thanksgiving blessings and my suggestions for things, animals and people for which, and for whom, we should give thanks, but do not....Read more
What is the significance of a tree planted by water?
From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham
Q: An artist friend of mine gave me one of his paintings of a tree growing by the water and added a Bible verse, Psalm 1:3. We had been talking about growing spiritually and I guess this is what prompted his lovely gift to me. What is the significance of a tree planted by water? – P.W.
A: It is no ...Read more
Why is it thought that philosophy produces wisdom, and is wisdom the power of Christian life?
From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham
Q: As a philosophy major, when I listen to lectures on the subject, I’m not sure I agree that philosophy is the study of wisdom and learning how to think. Why is it commonly thought that the study of philosophy produces wisdom, and is wisdom the power of living the Christian life? – W.W.
A: ...Read more
Why does the Bible compare marriage to God and the church, and why is God called the bridegroom and the church called the bride?
From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham
Q: Marriage is very different today than in the past. Today, marriage is made a mockery. Most weddings don’t have a spiritual element to them at all, as couples try to outdo their closest friends and attempt to have the most exotic and carnal event; there is seldom any holy element to the ceremony or...Read more
How should I listen for the voice of the Lord?
From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham
Q: When I tell my friends I wish I could know God the way they do, they tell me that I should listen for the voice of the Lord. This seems impossible that God would call out to me – it seems more like a fairytale, yet I don’t believe my friends would lie to me. How is this really possible? – G.C....Read more
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